Taslima Aktar

Senior Research Associate

taslima.41@bracu.ac.bd

Taslima Aktar is a Senior Research Associate under the Governance and Politics cluster at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University.

Taslima joined BIGD as a Research Assistant in 2018. She had also worked as a Research Assistant in Centre for Injury Prevention and Research (CIPRB). She previously worked as a Research Officer at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).

Taslima completed her Master’s and Bachelor’s in Anthropology from Jahangirnagar University.

Journal Article

A New Approach to Children’s Work That Prioritises Resilience, Well-Being and Agency: Emerging Findings From a ‘Cash Plus’ Intervention in Bangladesh

Date: 2025

Author(s): Howard, Neil; Roelen, Keetie; Ton, Giel; Hermoza, Mauricio Espinoza; Mamun, Saklain Al; Chowdhury, Kabita; Aktar, Taslima and Huq, Lopita

Publisher: BMJ Paediatrics Open

Evidence and Insights

Child Labor: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia

Date: 2024

Author(s): Aktar, Taslima; Mamun, Saklain Al; Sultan, Maheen and Jahan, Nusrat

Publisher: BIGD

Report

Adolescent Girls’ Vulnerabilities and Transitions in the Context of COVID-19

Date: 2022

Author(s): Sultan, Maheen; Aktar, Taslima; Rahman, Khandker Wahedur; Pabony, Nuha Annoor; Noshin, Maliha; Nath, Shravasti Roy; Labib, Mahir; Islam, Md Zahirul; Kabir, Farhana; Huq, Lopita; Hossain, Md Rakib; Chowdhury, Kabita; Arman, Md Raied; Antara, Iffat Jahan; Mamun, Saklain Al

Topic(s): Social Transformation

Publisher: BIGD

Working Paper

Livelihood Transitions and Coping With Shocks: Women in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) Sector Coping With COVID-19

Date: 2022

Author(s): Kabeer, Naila; Huq, Lopita; Aktar, Taslima; Mamun, Saklain Al; Alam, Afsana; Nath, Shravasti Roy; Sultana, Razia

Topic(s): COVID-19, Social Transformation

Publisher: BIGD

Working Paper

Livelihood Transitions of Women Workers During COVID-19: Domestic Workers in Dhaka

Date: 2021

Author(s): Kabeer, Naila; Huq, Lopita; Aktar, Taslima; Mamun, Saklain Al; Alam, Afsana; Nath, Shravasti Roy; Sultana, Razia

Topic(s): COVID-19, Social Transformation

Publisher: BIGD

Policy Brief

Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Adolescents in Urban Slums in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Date: 2020

Author(s): Ria, Alvira Farheen; Raha, Samira Ahmed; Rana, Sajib; Roy, Prantik; Aktar, Taslima; Mamun, Saklain Al; Anik, Mehedi Hasan; Alam, Farhana

Topic(s): Cities, Social Transformation, COVID-19

Publisher: Gender & Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE)

সংরক্ষিত নারী আসনেও সরাসরি নির্বাচনের কথা ভাবা উচিত

Year: 2026

Topic(s): Gender and Social Development, Gender Justice, Governance and Politics

তরুণদের রাজনীতি যে কারণে ভোটের মাঠে পিছিয়ে

Year: 2026

Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation

Compensation Is Not Justice: How We Normalize Negligence Through Silence and Payouts

Year: 2025

Topic(s): Cities, Humanitarian, Skills and Jobs

নারীরা শুধু আন্দোলনের মাঠে, সিদ্ধান্তের টেবিলে নয় কেন?

Year: 2025

Topic(s): Gender Justice, Governance and Politics, Social Transformation, Gender and Social Development

রাজনীতিঃ অভিজাতদের খেলা বনাম সাধারণ মানুষের মঞ্চ

Year: 2025

Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation

রাষ্ট্র সংস্কার সুপারিশে প্রান্তিক জনগোষ্ঠী কতটা গুরুত্ব পাচ্ছে

Year: 2025

Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation

Do the Reforms Address the Marginalised Populations?

Year: 2025

Topic(s): Governance and Politics, Social Transformation

It Takes a Village To Raise a Child—but Where Has That Village Gone?

Year: 2025

Topic(s): Gender Justice, Humanitarian, Social Transformation, Care Economy

ডাকাত ধরা থেকে ট্রাফিক নিয়ন্ত্রণ, কমিউনিটির শক্তি জেগে থাক

Year: 2024

Topic(s): Gender Justice, Social Transformation

Why Are Parents Willing to Invest in Their Daughter’s Marriage but Not Their Education?

Year: 2024

Topic(s): Education

নারী গৃহশ্রমিক: করোনাকালীন অভিযোজন ও টিকে থাকার গল্প

Year: 2021

Topic(s): COVID-19

মাধ্যমিক শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানে বয়ঃসন্ধিকালীন দুর্বল স্বাস্থ্য ব্যবস্থাপনা ও কিশোরী শিক্ষার্থীদের দুর্ভোগ

Year: 2021

Topic(s): Gender Justice, Social Transformation

Unregistered marriage and violence against women

Year: 2021

Topic(s): Gender Justice

শৃঙ্খলা ও শাস্তির দ্বন্দ্ব: কোথায় আমাদের ভুল?

22 October 2025

“ছাত্র আপনারে দিয়ে গেলাম, আপনি শুধু হাড্ডিগুলা ফেরত দিয়েন”—বাংলাদেশে শিক্ষকদের উদ্দেশ্যে অভিভাবকদের বলা একটি অতিপরিচিত বাক্য। এর পিছনে যে ভাবনাটি কাজ করে তা হল শিশুকে মূলত মারধর করেই শৃঙ্খলা শেখানো সম্ভব। প্রতিটি বাবা-মা চান তাদের সন্তান সুশৃঙ্খল ও দায়িত্বশীল হোক, এবং জীবনের প্রতিটি চ্যালেঞ্জ মোকাবিলার জন্য প্রস্তুত থাকুক। কিন্তু বাস্তবতা হচ্ছে শারীরিক শাস্তি দিলে শিশুদের আত্মবিশ্বাস কমে যায়, তাদের শেখার আগ্রহ নষ্ট হয়, এবং তাদের মানসিক স্বাস্থ্যের ওপরও মারাত্মক প্রভাব পড়ে।

Climate Change, Disasters, and Gender-Based Violence: An Overview of Bangladesh’s Policies Status

5 June 2024

Studies reveal alarming increases in abuse during natural disasters; for instance, 71% of women in Bangladesh reported increased abuse during floods, with physical violence affecting over half. As we observe World Environment Day, it's crucial to raise awareness about the gendered impacts of climate change and advocate for robust protections for women and girls in disaster-prone areas.

How home-based childcare facilities support women’s workforce engagement in low-income areas of Dhaka city

6 May 2024

In Korail slum, working mothers like Nasima rely on home-based childcare for economic survival. Yet, our research reveals these facilities lack safety and developmental support for children. BRAC's initiative aims to transform them into quality centers, empowering caregivers and advocating for national policies that prioritize childcare as a fundamental right for both children and working mothers.

The Veil as Armor: Observations From the CLARISSA Project

27 November 2023

BIGD's study in Hazaribagh, Bangladesh, sheds light on the use of veils by 10-14-year-old girls as a protective measure against harassment, revealing the intersection of societal norms, patriarchy, and child labour challenges.